The Race for Human Rights Team is made up of 3 hardworking, creative and passionate individuals: Farah Farzana, Clare Gallagher and Junaid Ashraf.
This short blog is aimed at introducing you with our race equality, human rights and community engagement officers. A vital part of each of these roles is mainstreaming and networking and we believe it’s always best to put a face to a name!
For the past few years, I have been an active member of the human rights field ranging from frontline community work to research published at the Centre of Study of Human Rights Law. My human rights journey began when I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Human Rights Law inspired by my experience of working with asylum seekers and refugees. While studying, I had the privilege to work with vulnerable young people and families in communities across Great Glasgow and Clyde and proceeded to share my learning to develop policies and practices to ensure that service providers reflect the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC).
My main area of interest focuses on accountability and protection of human rights. Our basic rights and freedoms are enshrined under national, regional and international human rights law and the protection of these rights are often flawed due to gaps in the accountability process.
I am excited about our Race for Human Rights Project as it focuses on this gap by improving and building on public bodies and civil society’s knowledge and understanding of human rights law- we can better protect our human rights if we know what they are! Together with the changing human rights landscape in Scotland, that will see four international human rights conventions create a new Scottish Human Rights Bill, I truly believe we are paving the way for better human rights protection.
My passion lies within community activism.
As co-founder and current Board Member for Al Masaar SCIO, which means ‘Path to Progression’, I actively instill my ethos of grassroots driven change to overcoming cultural and structural barriers. Graduating with a Merit from the University of Glasgow, provided an insight between the academia of Education and Public Policy and its political influences, with the aspiration to not only hold public bodies to account for social inequities, but also provide solutions for social justice. As a mother of two, I am also an active member of a Parent Council, which has provided great practical knowledge and understand of the effectiveness of national policies. Through lived experiences, and professional development, I aspire to be an influential person, to improve social justice and fairness in Scotland where an individual’s potential and ability are not limited because of their socio-economic background, colour and support needs.
Being a part of CEMVO Scotlands Race for Human Rights programme is an opportunity to utilise experiences and knowledge to provide practical solutions to third, public and private sector in overcoming racism in our society. Working alongside leaders to drive systemic change for economic and social progress is essential to achieve an equitable and inclusive Scotland.